The Changing Arctic Landscape

Distributed for University of Alaska Press

With this book, photographer Ken Tape sets changes in the landscape in stark relief, pairing decades-old photos of the arctic landscape of Alaska with photos of the same scenes taken in the present.

The resulting volume is a stunning reminder of inexorable change; divided into sections on vegetation, permafrost, and glaciers, the images show the startling effects of climate change. In addition, each section presents a short biography of a pioneering scientist who was instrumental in both obtaining the antique photographs and advancing the study of arctic ecosystems, as well as interviews with scientists who have spent decades working in Alaska for the United States Geological Survey. The Changing Arctic Landscape is a profile of transformation—complex and not yet fully understood.

“This is a fascinating book, both for its words and its pictures. It doesn’t preach, and it asks more questions than it answers. Most importantly, it offers a clear view of how one corner of our planet is changing.”

Matthew Sturm, Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory

“Climate change is in the news all the time, and it usually is presented in the form of some change over time. Intellectually, we understand this concept of change, but viscerally, it is too abstract. More compelling to us is the change we see with our eyes: the neighborhood that has become urbanized, the field that has gone back to forest. In his book, Ken takes this latter approach, and it is both effective and attractive. I think it is one of the best ways to document and show how dramatic the changes are that are sweeping the Alaska arctic landscape”

Robert Harriss | Environment

"The Arctic region is considered to be a bellwether for early detection of climate change on both land and sea. Ken Tape, a scientist-photographer, crafts a fascinating story of how the work of several generations of earth scientists can be integrated into a picture of arctic Alaska landscapes that are responding to both natural and human influences. . . . This book makes a strong case for more attention to climate-landscape interactions in what may be one of our most sensitive natural ecosystems in North America. . . . The Changing Arctic Landscape is an important account of a remote landscape fraying at the edges. We must hope that Ken Tape and other scientist-photographers will continue to carefully record environmental change in this remote region of arctic Alaska.—Environment

Contents

Introduction

The Pristine Arctic Landscape

Vegetation

Glaciers

Permafrost

Implications

Locations of photo-pairsReferences Index

For more information, or to order this book, please visit http://www.press.uchicago.edu